The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and SpaceX, an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company, are geared up for the Demo-2 mission. Slated from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 27th May 2020, this mission is set to transport astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Players of the Mission:
The key figures on board for the Demo-2 mission will be astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley. After their journey into orbit, they will reside at the ISS for a period ranging from one to four months depending on the schedule of future missions.
About NASA’s Commercial Crew Program:
The Demo-2 mission forms a part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. This program aims to create human space transportation systems via collaborative efforts. SpaceX’s spacecraft named Crew Dragon is the designated vehicle to ferry the astronauts into space. This operation makes Crew Dragon the fifth class of US spacecraft to accomplish transporting human beings into orbit, joining the ranks of the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs.
Significance of the Mission:
The mission’s implementation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic reflects its high importance. Moreover, this project is a significant leap for SpaceX, a private sector company that has carved its niche in the space sector with its reusable rocket, the Falcon 9. Elon Musk, founder of Tesla, also founded SpaceX.
Key Impacts of Space Flight:
NASA highlights five broad criteria to classify the human impact of space flight, dubbed as the 5 Hazards. These include radiation, isolation and confinement, distance from Earth, gravity, hostile/closed environments, and health-specific impacts such as weightlessness and osteoporosis, longer telomeres during spaceflight, decreased body mass and increased folate in orbit, and potential genetic mutations triggered by spaceflight.
A Brief History of US Space Programs:
In the past, the US has launched multiple successful space programs. Project Mercury (1958-63), the first US man-in-space program, aimed to orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth, assess human capabilities in space, and ensure the safe recovery of both man and spacecraft.
The Gemini Program (1962-66), bridging the gap between the Mercury and Apollo programs, primarily tested equipment, mission procedures, trained astronauts and ground crews for future Apollo missions. Its goals encompassed testing an astronaut’s ability to fly long-duration missions, perfecting re-entry and landing methods, and understanding the effects of longer space flights on astronauts.
The Apollo Program (1963-72) was designed to land humans on the Moon and bring them safely back to Earth. Six of its missions (Apollos 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17) achieved this objective, returning with scientific data and nearly 400 kilograms of lunar samples.
The Space Shuttle Program (1981-2011) saw NASA’s space shuttles – Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour – fly 135 missions, significantly contributing to the construction of the ISS. They repeatedly carried people into orbit, launched, recovered and repaired satellites, conducted advanced research, and built the largest structure in space. The final space shuttle mission, STS-135, concluded on 21st July 2011, marking the end of humanity’s first reusable spacecraft program.
